Effectiveness of prayer

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I put this question in the ask an apologist forum, and excepted a deeper answer but
got a generic bumper sticker platitude for an answer, so I decided to present this question to everyone.

You pray and pray and say several hundred rosaries for years, but there is no response, no evidence of any “relationship” and the situation gets worse and continues to deteriorate. Since God can see things outside of time and knows what will happen to everyone, are there people in the world that for lack of better words “a waste of time” to God since he knows where they will end up and just ignores their supplications?
 
No, God does not operate that way. He loves each and every one of us. The Lord does not err in anything, including creation. He would not create someone that He deems to be “a waste of time.”

Like the person in your example, I have spent years praying for things, morally good things, that never happen. I continue to pray for these things, but also for the grace to endure my difficulties according to God’s will. I may not know in this lifetime what His will is, but I do know He is all good and knows my needs better than I do. There is a reason why I’m going through these trials, currently known only to Him. Whatever it is, I trust that it’s for my own good.

Prayer is never futile, even if it sometimes seems that way. I have found not getting what I ask for easier to accept by offering my prayers for others who may have needs more urgent than mine. Don’t get me wrong - this is much harder than I perhaps make it sound. It is difficult to learn to love one’s cross, particularly when one feels no relationship, receives no consolation, sees no “signs,” and hears no messages from the Divine. Nevertheless, in these situations it’s what we need to do.

Fr. Grondin’s response was not a platitude. It is the truth.

God bless!
 
Did you ever think how much worse things might be without prayer? I believe God gives us what we need, not neccessarily what we want.
 
I agree that Father’s answer was helpful in understanding the role of a personal god in regards to praying. I’m pretty much an agnostic-theist at this point and just don’t understand the mentality of using god(a personal, caring god) as a vending machine. Now I’ll have to go look up the definition of platitude. Stay safe.
 
No, God does not ignore anyone or or fail to provide for his/her needs.

This is probably a poor analogy, but my daughter thinks I am depriving her because I don’t give her what she wants (nice phone, expensive clothes, liberty to go where she pleases, …). Instead I tell her to do her schoolwork and take up enriching activities. I think God similarly provides what we need in the long run. It’s a poor analogy because God is a much better parent than I can be.
 
kcp said:
I put this question in the ask an apologist forum, and excepted a deeper answer but
got a generic bumper sticker platitude for an answer, so I decided to present this question to everyone.
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You did not have to describe his response as you did, try to be more charitable, especially about a priest. Pray for those who disappoint you rather than spreading it all around in such a critical way.
You pray and pray and say several hundred rosaries for years, but there is no response, no evidence of any “relationship” and the situation gets worse and continues to deteriorate. Since God can see things outside of time and knows what will happen to everyone, are there people in the world that for lack of better words “a waste of time” to God since he knows where they will end up and just ignores their supplications?
Click to expand...
This does happen. St Monica prayed for her son for 17 years before he converted, and then he, too, became a great Saint. (Spell-check keeps capitalizing that–dunno why!)

Anyway, God’s idea of what is good for us and what our goal should be differs from ours. I think all my children should have been very healthy and gotten into Harvard. God did not. he aims for us to become holy, and if it takes beating us down to make us humble and to rely on Him 100%, then we will get troubles, not the world’s idea of an easy life.

In fact, we should all be grateful we are not being crucified as Christ was! Instead we get to lead lots easier lives than He did.
 
Now changing the subject a little, but still relevant I hope…

I have noticed several other threads here on Catholic Answers which, like yours, describe a life of piety and prayer, and lament the lack of relationship, response, or gratification. I wonder if part of the problem is, for want of a better word, individualistic spirituality.

Humans are profoundly social creatures. This may be obvious in the secular aspects of life, like our family upbringing, education, commerce, and government, but it is no less important in our spiritual lives. It is in our nature. We need to help each other, not just for the other, but for our own benefit as well. We need to forgive and bear wrongs patiently. We need to bring out the best in each other. We need to see the face of God in people around us, and we need to be the visible face of God’s love in the world. It’s our mission. It gives purpose to our lives.

So maybe you should take a break from, or at least pay less attention to, Rosaries and other pious devotions. Here’s what I wrote in another thread:
Beryllos said:
Sounds like you need to go back to basics: Love God. Love one another. Forget about all that other stuff.

Love God. If God seems too distant at the moment, have faith even so. Believe that He provides what you need, believe in His love and mercy. Pray in petition, and pray in thanksgiving.

Love one another. Step up your efforts to show love for the people around you. Listen to them and see that they too are struggling. Be kind. Be truthful. Look for small ways to help.

I’m praying for you. May the Holy Spirit assist and guide you always toward faith, hope, and love.
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I’m praying for you too. May the Holy Spirit assist and guide you always toward greater faith, hope, and love.
 
I think prayer has to be an act of humility and surrender. How often do we say “Thy will be done” but really mean "My will be done? We know the result we would like and how we would like it to be achieved without really considering that God has an eternal agenda as opposed to our temporal one. Do we really acknowledge that God knows what’s best for us much more than we do? That He knows us much better than we know ourselves? Are we prepared to abandon our pride and accept His will without reservation?

Do we really try and enter into a deeper prayer life. That takes some time and effort on our part that we often find conflicts with our day to day activities. Do we make the mistake of assuming God will save us without any or minimal effort on our part?

Do we approach God as a vending machine as someone above suggested or do we approach first acknowledging that God created us from nothing and continues to hold us in existence second by second. Knowing that we are powerless and totally unworthy of His loving kindness? Or are we arrogant in thinking God owes us something?

I’m not preaching here, but these are hard questions that I have been asking myself lately and when I answer honestly I don’t always like facing the truth.
 
puzzledtoo said:
I agree that Father’s answer was helpful in understanding the role of a personal god in regards to praying. I’m pretty much an agnostic-theist at this point and just don’t understand the mentality of using god(a personal, caring god) as a vending machine. Now I’ll have to go look up the definition of platitude. Stay safe.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure where you thought this was a selfish act. If anything, it was the priest’s answer was selfish. Anyone can tell that it is a off the cuff remark without deep consideration of someone who is suffering. I could get better consolation from a fortune cookie than from what he said. There are those of us who pray not only for oursefves but for others just to watch things worsen, almost immediately after our prayers and offer up our suffering for others, just to watch them suffer more with no consolation, no indication of purpose. I’m not even sure where you got the idea where I consider God a vending machine. This is a repulsive and ignorant response.
 
While as a prayer warrior I stand by the Rosary,
there is another form of prayer: the prayer of doing.

A good way to approach a situation is to:

Acknowledge God,
take the next right step,
and be a sign of hope to those around you.

Trust, do, love.

And listen … it might come to you while saying a Rosary or by visiting Jesus in the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel that you are inspired by the Holy Spirit to take an action, and this action may involve things like work, sacrifice, obstacles, spiritual battles, opposition … but may lead to the very answer you’re looking for … or better.

Also, in the Bible, Jesus states that some demons can only be cast out by prayer … and fasting.

I will pray for you now.
And I hope you will pray for me, kcp.

:blessyou:
 
kcp: Very sorry you’ve misunderstood what I wrote. May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well. May you be peaceful and at ease. May you be happy.
 
When we turn to God who dwells within, we do so out of love for God and God responds to us with His love, or grace as we also call it.

Prayer is relational between God and the individual.

Praying 700 Rosaries by rote out of a superficial desire, is nothing more than a religious activity and it could even be superstitious. Don’t expect to hear the audible voice of God as you see in movies.

Faith is a gift from God, it is the revelation of Himself, however that may happen.

Religion, of which prayer is, is our responce to God.

The language of God is silence, and He speaks to us best from the depth of our being.

The experience of God’s divine love is what transforms us and draws us closer to Him.

Jim
 
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